Declan McEvoy sentenced for fraudulent mortgage in Dublin

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Declan McEvoy received an 18-month suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for dishonestly obtaining a €297,000 mortgage from AIB.

He pleaded guilty to the charge. The offence concerned dates between 5 May 2009 and 20 July 2009. The proceedings were reported on 27 April 2016.

Det Sgt Martin Griffin told Ronan Kennedy BL, prosecuting, that AIB’s offer required McEvoy to be the registered owner of the property in Castleknock, Dublin.

The report said his sister owned the house. A buyer paid a deposit in August 2009, a month after McEvoy drew down the mortgage.

McEvoy was principal of a Carlow law firm when his father’s firm in Gorey was being investigated by the Law Society. The organisation allowed his father to retire on condition that McEvoy took over the firm. McEvoy used the mortgage money to clear its debts.

Defence counsel Felix McEnroy SC said McEvoy obtained the mortgage to maintain both firms. He described a very serious error in judgment and said McEvoy had tried to solve problems that in many respects were not of his creation.

Judge Melanie Greally said she did not believe McEvoy would re-offend before imposing the suspended sentence.